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Q: Did God create us unable to keep his law?
A: No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.
In the beginning, God created man in the image of himself. Man was good and in perfect communion with God. So where does our self-centered nature come from?
Satan lied and told Adam and Eve that God couldn’t be trusted to provide. When man acted upon that lie, sin entered the world like a virus entering the body. In Romans 5, we are reminded that sin came into the world through one man and infected all of mankind. Sin has tainted our ability to honor and glorify God above all else. It has polluted our hearts, our minds and our souls.
God is love, even in the wake of our rebellion. He gave us hope through Christ, the second Adam. As David Bisgrove says in this week’s video, where the first Adam failed, the second succeeded. Where the first Adam brought death, disobedience and selfishness into the world, Jesus Christ brought life through his obedience and sacrifice on the cross. Romans 5:18-19 says:
“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
As we continually celebrate the Resurrection, let us also be reminded of Jesus’ obedience and of what he did for us on the cross!
This is week 14 of 52 catechism readings from New City Catechism. Christ Community is reciting an entry from the catechism each Sunday in 2013. To read commentaries and view a concise video teaching on each week, visit newcitycatechsim.com.
1.) Attack these classes with vigor! There are two new classes beginning Sunday. You can participate.
Two New Adult Education Classes—Begining April 7th
9:00AM—Tim Keller “Gospel in Life – From Heart to Culture”
Join author and pastor Timothy Keller in a 12-week study of the gospel and the ways to live it out in your everyday life. Topics include: the focus on the city, the centrality of the heart, the need to live by grace, the significance of idolatry, the importance of cultural engagement, the role of work in mission, and more. Led by Ken French.
10:30AM—”From Gethsemane to Galilee: Poetry of Death and Resurrection”
Consider poetic responses to and reflections on Christ’s death and resurrection. For centuries, poets have been drawn to the story of Christ’s passion, and we hope that each week the readings will encourage our own thoughtful consideration of this central moment in the Christian story. We hope to foster insight into how our contemplation of Christ might be both challenged and renewed.
*Participants need not read in advance, but poems will be posted online. Led by Stephen Addcox
2.) I’m not sure about you, but there are some dishes that I find are actually BETTER as leftovers. Well, there was so much to say about the hope that God has inaugurated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that I’m going to preach one more sermon from Revelation 21 and 22. Here’s a couple of teaser quotes:
“Don’t make the church body do everything you want the body parts to be doing. In other words, there’s a difference between the church gathered and the church scattered. Some theologians call it the church as organization and the church as organism. Help people be faithful disciples and entrepreneurs and hard workers in their jobs, in their families, and in their communities. Equip them for ministry, but don’t make a church program for every good deed Christians might do in Christ’s name.” –Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert
“Clearly, caring for the poor, the hungry, the afflicted is not just a liberal thing to do. It is a biblical thing to do. We must allow this uncomfortable chapter (Isaiah 58?) to discomfort us a bit. Those of us in conservative circles can get all sorts of religious ritual right, but it counts for nothing and less than nothing if we do not love our neighbors as ourselves.” –Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert
3.) We’ll be sharing in Holy Communion during both the 9:00 and 10:30 services.
“There should be priests to remind men that they will one day die—and poets, to remind men that they are not dead yet.”–GK Chesterton
Sunday begins a class (during the 10:30 hour, led by Stephen Addcox) looking at poetry. As a lifelong non-artist, I am wowed and delighted that we have folks in Christ Community who create. It is such a beautiful thing to experience a well-done flower arrangement, meal, poem, painting, guitar lick, etc.
These resources are offered in honor of our artists.
Makoto Fujimura, an artist who serves as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), in his book
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“We just finished up “Gospel in Life” during our Thursday morning Men’s bible study. Our group really enjoyed the study. Keller is incredibly gifted at explaining the differences between religion, irreligion, and the gospel as applied to everyday life. It challenged us all on many levels. I personally had never strongly associated the broader community as a vehicle for biblical change and I really enjoyed the section on Work.” –Mark Sheplak
Meet in Room 124, last classroom on the right at the end of the hallway.
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